September 1: 2,000 CEC invitations at CRS 521
Express Entry round 439 was held on September 1, 2026 for the Canadian Experience Class. IRCC issued 2,000 invitations to apply, and the CRS score of the lowest-ranked candidate invited was 521.
A CEC round is program-specific. A candidate needed to meet the Canadian Experience Class requirements and be in the Express Entry pool; reaching 521 without CEC eligibility would not have been enough for this round.
August 31: 562 PNP invitations at CRS 697
One day earlier, IRCC held round 438 for the Provincial Nominee Program. It issued 562 invitations, with a CRS cut-off of 697.
This round was limited to Express Entry candidates with a qualifying provincial or territorial nomination. The nomination normally adds 600 CRS points, but the candidate still had to meet the requirements of the nominating program and maintain an eligible Express Entry profile.
How the results compare with the previous rounds
The September 1 CEC cut-off was two points lower than the CRS 523 threshold in the August 18 CEC round, while the number of invitations doubled from 1,000 to 2,000.
The August 31 PNP cut-off was 63 points lower than the CRS 760 threshold on August 17. Invitations increased from 442 to 562. These comparisons describe completed rounds and do not predict the size or score of the next draw.
What invited candidates should check
An invitation is based on the information in the profile at the time of the round. Before submitting permanent residence documents, an invited candidate should confirm that the work history, language results, education, status, nomination and other eligibility information remains accurate and supported by evidence.
Applicants should follow the deadline shown in their online account and use the document checklist generated for their file. The published CRS cut-off does not waive any program, admissibility or documentation requirement.
This article is not legal advice. Immigration rules and program instructions can change, and the result depends on the facts of each case.